Int. Ped. Rook tl Snow leopards 3: 59 - 62, 1982

Snow Leopards (Panthera uncia) atMarwell Zoolo$cal Park

John KnowlesDirector, Marwell Zoological Park, Colden Common, Nr. Winchester, Hampshire, SO21 1JH,Great Britain

Ours is a comparatively short history with thisspecies, but since the arrival of our first animalin 1977 we have learned some things which maybe of value to others, on both the positive andnegative side.

One of the most overwhelming impressionsthat I have gained from this short experience isthat more than any other feline species, thesnow leopard is intensely individualistic andsensitive. Every animal we have received hasshown distinct emotional characteristics com-pounded of inherited traits and life experienceto date. I will dwell on this aspect of snow leo-pard management as it is one of the most im-portant keys to success or failure with this spe-cies.

Only the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altai-ca) has shown similar signs of intense indivi-duality and sensitivity among the species of Fe-lidae maintained in our collection. Conclusionscau be drawn from the fact that both speciescome from cold climates which historically hadlow human populations. A broad generalisa-tion about both species would be that both likepeople once well adjusted to both people andsurroundings and both are extremely conserva-tive. Even a move from one enclosure to anot-her within the same collection can take monthsof adjustment.

Individuals which have been atMarwell Zoological Park inchronological orderVilkku, Helsinki 3, born 10. August 1968 inHelsinki, anived Marwell on May 12, 1977:

Because of her relatively advanced age, I de-

cided to go to Helsinki and accompany her toEngland on a freighter flight equipped withoxygen mask and cylinder and other veterinarysupportive aids. I was glad that I took this stepas the freighter involved was an extremely agedaircraft and the flight was noisy and uncomfor-table. It may be that this shared experiencehelped Vilkku to feel relaxed in England forshe settled in with no problems and was anextremely friendly snow leopard to humansfrom the outset of her time at Marwell. She wasaccommodated with Pavel (see below) forsome time but due to his immaturity no suc-cessful mating took place. Her sudden deathon 3rd September 1979 was from a cause thatwas never determined. Three other felinedeaths occurred within the same two day pe-riod as her death and were respectively, a lynx(Felis lynx lynx), a cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)and a serval (Felis serval). A11 of these animalswere mixed with others of the same species inwidely separated parts of the Zoo and all show-ed similar symptoms prior to death which wereprofuse salivation, dyspnoea, and hyperaest-hesia. The cheetah survived for 24 hours andthe other three cats died within 7 hours of thefirst symptoms being noted. Both the cheetahand the snow leopard in question were treatedwith intravenous fluids. Intestines were testedfor the presence of poisons but none werefound. Electron microscopy of tissue revealedthe presence of pox virus particles and it isknown that a cowpoxlike virus has been thecause of death of non-domestic cats in Zoolosi-ca l co l lect ions. This however. is not a fu l lvconclus ive explanat ion of whal wi l l l "or everremain a tragic mystery.

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Pavel, Seattle 6, born 2. May 1975 in Seattle,

arrived Marwell on November 9, 1977:

Pavel arrived in a calm condition and exhibi-

ted no stress on being released from his travel-

ling crate to the inside of the enclosure of the

snJw leopard complex. He took about five

days to adjust to our standard meat diet ofbeef

orrthe bone with a mineral suppliment' having

been used to a proprietary processed meatZoodiet. On release to the outside enclosure he ex-

hibited the worst case of Zoo neuritis which I

have ever witnessed. This took the shape of

pacing up and down continuously on a concretepath at a fast walk for hours at a time until ex-hausted. An attempt to cure this condition byplacing wooden logs of approximately 1 metrediameter in his path made no difference at allas he simply jumped these logs in the course ofpacing the same path. Neither the introductionof another snow leopard in an adjoining enclo-sure or attempts to divert his interest by keep-ers were in the least successful. Whenever inthe outside enclosure he appeared single-mindedly determined to pursue this routineand noticed nothing else whatever. Extremelypatient keepering cured this condition in app-roximately 9 months he is now one of the mostrelaxed and contented animals in our collec-tion.

Victoria, Helsinki 31, born 24. April 1976 inHelsinki, arrived Marwell on June 16, 1978:

This animal settled in very well taking only afew days to adjust to the new diet. Unfortuna-tely her time with us was short because of themost tragic accident that I have ever experien-ced with a Zoo animal. During the course ofthe night she managed to become entangled,presumably in play whilst in her inside den,with a slide cable which we had thought to beentirely beyond her reach. She twisted in thisso it became in fact a tourniquet. At early mor-ning inspection she was found in this positionextracted whilst still alive, and in spite of theadministration of the kiss of life, died some tenminutes after. Post mortem revealed deathfrom shock.

Irkust, Center Hill l, wild born appr. 1968,arrived to Center Hill, Florida lanuary 10,1969, transfened to Marwell May 23, 1979:

This animal was well adjusted to captivityarriving at Marwell in a calm condition andsettled in to staff, surroundings, and diet im-mediately and with no problems. Has beenobserved mating but without success to date

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although previously a successful sire. He is cur-rently in isolation with a back injury whichappears to be responding to treatment.

Timi, Rotterdam 4, wild born appr. 1966-67,arrived Marwell May 23, 1979 as a female be-cause the Rotterdam male had died, withoutever having successfully bred with this animal,and they therefore had no male.

In the course of transferring Timi from thetravelling crate to the inside den a keeperthought she observed testicles. Subsequentexamination confirmed that this animal indeedwas a male and he was transferred to DublinZoo on23 Aprll1980. Durirtg his time with usTimi was never really a contented, relaxed ani-mal though a personal observation of him inDublin subsequently showed that he had sett-led there better than at Marwell. Perhaps a his-tory of being treated as a female had not beenhelpful to a wild caught animal settling to capti-ve conditions.

Vanda, Helsinki 39, born 23 . June 1978 in Hel-sinki, arrived Marwell on December 12, 1979:

This animal gave us the greatest cause forconcern of any imported snow leopard as fromthe time of release from her travelling crate shecurled up on a platform and refused to eat anddrink for two weeks. So miserable was she thatshe failed to respond to even physical stimulusin any way at all. Very slowly she began to eatsmall pieces of warm chopped ox heart andliver and over a period of two months came toaccept a normal diet. Subsequently, she beca-me fully adjusted but this took at least ninemonths.

Olga, San Antonio 76, born 27. April 1979 inSan Antonio Zoo, Texas, arrived Marwell onSeptember 12, 1980:

Adjusted immediately to new surroundingsand has always been the most extroverted andfriendly of our snow leopards.

Vuokko, Helsinki 14, born 14. May 1973 inHelsinki, arrived Marwell on November 21,1980:

Again a very slow animal to settle and onlybegan feeding when offered ox heart and liver.Subsequently, she ate unskinned'but evisce-rated rabbit before accepting beef diet.

Formed strong bonds with Irkust and ma-tings observed in both January and Februaryand April of 19881 and January of 1982 butwith no resultant progeny.

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Picture 1 The breeding pair of snow leopards at MarwellZoological Park. At the left: male, "Pavel, Seattle 6", right:female. "Vanda, Helsinki 39", and male cub',Pavan. Mar-well 1".Photo: A. Sidney

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The breeding of snow leoPardsThe two animals that I have described as being

the most difficult to settle in at Marwell have to

date been the only breeding animals' . . -With all precautions taken and wltn ravel

and Vanda having first become acquainted

;h;;tgh wire barr]ers, they were eventually

mixed"on 19th August 1980' Pavel was instant-

iu fi i .nOtv but Vanda was suspicious and for

rit""u *."f.t would give a warning growl and

strite wittr her foreleg at Pavel's perplexed face

tir""io he venture witttitt her reach' Time and

ouri"n." changed this and slowly there deve-

ioo"J u quite moving fondness between- the

irJ" uni-uf., which showed itself particularly

in ttt. tnotnings if they had been separated

l""i"1gnt, witli affectionate head rubbing and

gentte-caltlng to each other' The relationship

3ioip"t"a arid in March 1981 matingswere ob-

l"tu"A. to be followed by further matings app-

roximately one month later' There was no way

;il;;g sure that Vanda had conceived and

inae"O "we knew by studying the Studbook of

Snow Leopards that she was one year younger

ihun ut" most female snow leopards at the time

of the first birth.Few events have caused more excrtement at

Marwell than the announcement on the mor-

"inn of 16th June, 198L that there was a cub or

""U"s with Vanda in the cubbing den' Obviously

we did not dare to intrude' and yet there was

un"".tuinty as to whether the cubs were all

tfttf ""0

whether the young inexperienced

--oth"t was coping adequately with- her ql"q"-

nv. Most of the female big cats at Marwell wno

have turned out to be good mothers' nev€rthe-

less failed for various reasons with their first lit-

i"it. Flo*"u"r, as time went by and nothing but

contented noises were heard from the cubbing

den we gradually relaxed and speculation cent-

ied aroind wheiher there was one or two cubs'

On24thJuly 1981 it was possibleJo separate

V-Au Ul"ny t orn her offspring which turned

ooi to U" a single male cub who was fit and

heatttry and at that tittte weighted 4 lbs 4.ozs

u.tJ t"""lu"a his first feline enteritis vaccina-

tion.Gradually the cub strengthened.until 21st

August, 1981 when we letVanda and Pavan (as

it "".uU'*ut

to be named) into the outside run'

Because of the obvious "pair bonding-' oet-

ween Pavel and Vanda, we had decided even

before the cub was born that if Vanda reared

her first family we would re-introduce Pavel to

ir;; ;"J their loint offspring once the cub was

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mobile. We knew that this had been successful

in other collections with snow leopards and our

breeding male Siberian tiger, Kurten, has

always 6""tt u"ry good with his progeny and

there are many similarities in temperament

between Siberian tigers and snow leopards' So

the day came when all three animals were to-

eether in the outside enclosure. The joy with

ivhich Vanda and Pavel met each other after

their separation was a pleasure to behold' Pa-

uun *u, much less certain about his father and

on one occasion advanced on him spitting,

which bearing in mind their comparative-sizeswas an amusing sight. Pavel remained perfectly

calm and shortly after Vanda wandered over to

him and licked him, as much to say "the boy

means well, don't be offended by our off-

spring's apparent unfriendliness"'^ Pavan was separated from his parents on

L9th January 1982 and was miserable on his

own. On 5th April, 1982 he was introduced to

Olsa and the two have had an excellent rela-

tioiship from that date onwards' Pavel and

Vanda mated again between 12th and 18th

February and Vanda gave birth to two cubs on

25th May, 1982, one of which, however, was

either dead at birth or died immediately after-

wards.

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